(12x14)I did this drawing last summer in Marge's class (or maybe it was the summer before); once in awhile I pull it out and add to it! I'm afraid the foliage of the sycamore may be too much: too bright, too dense, too ... much. But I'll do more, especially on the bottom right--maybe add some dappled shadows to balance the overhanging branch--and see if it looks so dominant then.
5 comments:
lovely. HOw many washes do you typically use on your paintings? YOur colors are always so vibrant!
Your trees are wonderful Laura - I loved the ones in your previous post too - this one looks so full, light-filled and summery. I rather like that white space, I think that balances it..?
Hi Shicat. Thanks! I'm usually more of an "all prima" painter--putting it all down in one go and then touching up. I've heard people say you should never do more than 3 washes, but I think if you let the underpainting completely dry AND use transparent colors (e.g., aureolin, cobalt, rose madder), your washes shouldn't get muddy. Passages of this one are in danger of being overworked (if they aren't already!) and I did have to scrub away paint in a couple of places, which, even when it's done well, has a bit of a ruining effect for me.
Thanks Cathy. How to paint trees is always a conundrum! In yesterday's the tree was very light and feathery and I thought, how will I ever do this. So I just tried to keep the paint light. It doesn't "look like" the tree, but maybe it feels like it!
Hm. That's a good point about the white--and especially since other parts of the painting are so busy or dense, leaving white would provide some relief too!
Hi Laura, wow! I have been away for a few weeks, and meanwhile you've created a whole new body of work. I am impressed. They are all wonderful, I especially love the landscapes/seascapes, so juicy and confident. This one is lovely too. I wouldn't hesitate to put in some shadows at the bottom right, for balance, but leave some white too. But that's just one person's opinion, of course.
MINEKE!! Welcome back! I've thought of you often and missed your blog posts. Hope you had a great trip!
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